Thigh pain - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Off Topic

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Thigh pain

Anonymous

As most of you know, I have osteoarthritis. When I visited my rheumatologist, she said I needed to strengthen my quads. So I cycle, go up and down stairs, and do yoga. The problem is that no matter what I do, I have front thigh pain while exercising. The pain goes away the instant I stop exercising, which to me is quite perplexing. I asked my doctor about it, and she said there's nothing to worry about. I'm not worried; just confused. You'd think that with all the exercises I do that involve the thigh muscles, they would get stronger and eventually quit hurting. My calf muscles never hurt; just my thighs. I wonder if this pain is just something I have to live with. ???

Off Topic

29 replies

Latest reply was from

L'Abeille

Veteran

Until your thigh muscles are stronger and stop hurting, you should be doing static quads. Exercises that work the muscles of the front of your thigh, while keeping your knees in a straight position. Stairs and cycling are going to make it worse, not better, until you have more strength. So, straight-knee leg raises in a seated position, gradually incorporating ankle weights, then graduate to using an exercise bike on very low to no tension. A physiotherapist can teach you more.

Anonymous

I agree with L'Abeille. You need to slowly build strength in your quads. Sitting in a chair and lifting one leg at a time to the height of your other bent knee and holding for a count of 5 and repeat 10 times working up to 20 times and then do the other leg. Progress to 2 lb ankle weights when the exercise becomes too easy. This might be the best solution for you since you have arthritis. You can also sit on the floor, prop yourself up on your elbows, one leg bent, the other straight and raise the straight leg to the height of the bent knee for a count of 5. When your leg starts to quiver, change legs.

Make sure you work out all your thigh muscles , your hamstrings and not just your quads or you can cause a muscle imbalance that can create pain. Afterwards make sure you stretch your quads and hamstrings.

Also, balancing on one leg is a great way to firm your thighs.

Personally I don't use a stair stepper or bike because I don't want to bulk up my thighs, but I know bicycling is easier on the knees. I just use a chair and sit down and stand up using both legs to support my weight. After doing this 10 times, I sit down placing my weight on one leg and get up using one leg. I also do deep squats and plies.

Anonymous

Thanks. I have knee pain, which is why I cycle. Yoga does a pretty good job of working my hamstrings, and there are certain static yoga poses that work my quads. Our yoga teacher likes to make us hold poses for a good amount of time. The tree pose involves balancing on one leg, and I've been working on that. I guess I'll have to add the leg raises with weights.

Elle

Veteran

I also agree with L'abeille and Lara. You need to slowly build up your quad strength as well as all the other muscles near by. Stretching is also very important (maybe the yoga takes care of that). Pain means stop in my book.

Anonymous

Elle, if I only exercised when pain free, I wouldn't do anything. Pain is, unfortunately, my almost constant companion. I do stop whenever I experience sharp or sudden pain, but I plow through if I'm just feeling achy.

Thistle

Veteran

I'd talk to another doctor or maybe a physical therapist. Not an expert, but that sounds like a sure way to injury. Pain is the body's way of saying "hey, this isn't right. Stop it." Sometimes "STOP IT" as the case may be.

There's the next morning ache of a good work out and then there's pain. Not the same in my book.

Dee

Veteran

Are you sure it's muscle pain and not somehow related to your OA pain? Before I had my knee replaced, the ache from my knee would travel up and be felt deep in my thigh as well, and it always got worse with exercise (even low/no impact exercise).

Also, have you been stretching? If you're starting to use muscle groups that you haven't in awhile, stretching may help loosen it up and relieve some of pain.

Cerinda

Veteran

Please consider seeing a qualified clinical physical therapist. It sounds like you need a more granular diagnosis than most MDs can give.

Style Fan

Veteran

Another vote for a Physiotherapist here. Or physical therapist as they are called in the US. They can do an assessment and prescribe exercises for you that work for you.

Anonymous

I've already been thru PT and am doing the exercises I was taught/told to do. I do think this is more than likely related to OA in my spine and knees. The whole lower half of my body hurts - except my calf muscles, which never bother me except on my left side when sciatica flares up.

Beth Ann

Veteran

Thigh weakness or pain can also be caused by vascular problems, tight hip flexors, and is a noted side effect to a couple of cholesterol lowering drugs. Worth mentioning to your Dr.

Anonymous

Well, I'm not taking cholesterol lowering drugs, so at least I can rule that out.

Tight hip flexors might be it.

Nebraskim

Veteran

Strengthening all the muscles in your quads, hips, glutes and hamstrings may help reduce your knee pain, and other joint pain, because your muscles will carry more of the load and reducing load on your bones/joints. I agree that seeking advice from a qualified physical therapist would be helpful because he/she can assess your current condition and figure out a progression of exercises that will get you to your goals. Also, it can take months for you to see progress, sad to say. Good luck and keep up the hard work.

Anonymous

I thought I made this clear, but maybe I didn't. I've already been to a rheumatologist and to a physical therapist. I'm doing the exercises I was told to do, plus a lot of the yoga poses I do are designed to strength my quads, hips, glutes and hamstrings. I've been doing the PT exercises for a couple of years and the yoga for a few months. My thighs always hurt when I exercise. I don't know why, and my doctor says it's nothing to worry about. I just don't understand why they won't quit hurting. You'd think that at some point they would.

Please forgive me for being blunt about this. I'm sorry. I just got screamed at by a coworker who has hated me since I started working in this office 6 years ago. I'm sitting here trying to figure out what to do. She was out of the office on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; back today. My boss took me and another coworker out to lunch yesterday, thanked us for the great job we're doing, and commented that things were so peaceful without her in the office. Well, he's out sick today, so she took an opportunity to lash out at me and tell me that I'm not doing a good job and that she's the only one who has the guts to tell me. I felt like I was being bullied.

My boss has to review my overall performance every year. On top of that, our office has recently gone through 2 audits and is in the middle of yet another one. The reports for the first 2 audits were glowing, which indicates that I do my job very well.

So what accounts for someone being so nasty? I just don't get it.

SW Ann

Veteran

...insecurity??? passing on how someone else treats them outside the office?...stressful situations outside the office leading to displaced aggression? Have you considered asking why they are so angry? Seriously, if they want to communicate something to you, this is NOT the way to do it. All of the above are guesses but you are in the situation, and if you feel bullied, you probably are being bullied.....Hang in there...

Anonymous

Thanks. At least I managed not to respond to her. I let her rant and walked away from her. I don't think I can report the incident because I have no proof that it happened. I've seen her act ugly towards my boss, and he says she doesn't respect him. I'm wondering if the other coworker who lunched with us yesterday told her what he said. The 2 of them seem to be very chummy. Luckily, I didn't say anything about her during lunch or at any other time. That said, she was angry about something & took it out on me. The only reason I'm not falling apart over it is because I know our boss has had difficulties with her. I don't like the way he handles it, though. He just tells me she is what she is and that we have to work together as a team. He has also said she's not a team player. I don't think he knows what to do with her. I wonder how toxic people like her manage to keep their jobs???

Anonymous

I just asked my doctor again. She said it's fine to exercise if I'm feeling achy, but not if I experience stabbing or shooting pain.

SW Ann

Veteran

I've seen this before...it's hard for most people to deal with, because they worry that dealing with it will result with MORE blowback, including a possible lawsuit. I had a nasty person I worked with many years ago, and had to document in detail the way they came in late, left early, and lied about their work...It took 9 months before they were dismissed, and I think the person fought it very hard (spoke to lawyer, threatened, etc)...in spite of the fact that they were a "full time worker" they came in less than 20 hours per week. They also passed off their duties to others...etc. If you work in a small company, most can't afford the problems. Her aggressiveness probably scares your boss, and it isn't worth it to them to deal with...Sorry you have to deal with this, it isn't helping your osteoarthritis. Hope you find a way to "let it go" at the end of each day....

Anonymous

Thanks, SW Ann. I've decided it's not worth reporting. There were no witnesses, & he would probably call both of us into his office and tell us to get along, I already reported how she was shortchanging $ (one time it was $300) - that got all the way to the dean's office. So she has problems. One of our student interns even asked me what was wrong with her. It's toxic, I tell you. You're right that it's not helping my OA.

Anonymous

Regarding your coworker, you should encourage her to find a better job elsewhere.

Regarding your thigh pain, I don't know if it is soreness or a dull pain, or where exactly you feel the discomfort, but maybe warm moist compresses might help when your done exercising. You might just need to do some more gentle stretches on your quads, hamstrings, and hip flexors after you exercise. Hope you find something that helps.

Anonymous

I wish my coworker would leave, but it doesn't look likely. I'm only 4 years away from retirement. If she's still around when I leave, she's gonna get an earful from me. Then again, I may decide not to waste my breath. People like her don't ever change.

cjh

(website)

Veteran

If you have received all possible medical advice, then I'm not certain any one here should or could give you further advice. I will say I'm sorry you have this pain and struggle to live through, as well as a stressful work environment.

Anonymous

Thanks, cjh. My right thigh is hurting today for some reason; maybe stress.

I reported the work incident to my boss, and he said he's going to talk to her. Meanwhile, another coworker came to me this morning and said she heard about it. I don't know how, as I didn't say anything to anyone. At any rate, she said she is going to talk to our boss, and that nobody should be treated the way I was treated yesterday. My boss had to go to a funeral this morning, but his words to me were that today will be better. I already know it will; the abusive coworker had to go out of town today. It's always peaceful when she's not here.

SandyG

Veteran

In a prior workplace, yelling and brutal behavior became so prevalent that all meetings were recorded, and when the culprits heard themselves things settled down and people stopped acting out. You can record a conversation on your cell phone without being obvious. Or be upfront about it. Either way you have a bit more of feeling in control and not ambushed at will.

Anonymous

Thanks for the suggestion, SandyG. I have thought about recording her on my cell phone. She's been difficult with our boss, too, so I'm sure he feels the need to get things under control. I was so stunned by her outburst yesterday that I didn't respond to her, so at least I didn't utter any words that could be used against me. Unless, of course, she lies about what happened.

Kim

Veteran

I'd be very tempted to record every interaction with her, with her knowledge. I'd make it clear I was recording her, and I bet you'll never have another outburst like that again, cause she KNOWS...She's fully capable of controlling herself, she just chooses not to when it's convenient for her, like when your boss is away. This seems like a good way of getting her to behave herself or face the music. Either way, you win!

Anonymous

I don't know what kind of trouble she's in now. She has a history of being difficult to work with, and I have this feeling she's gone too far this time.

Anonymous

My boss and the other coworker pulled this b*^%# into a private meeting. I don't know what was said because I was at my desk working, but after the meeting my boss told me to just keep smiling and doing my job. He also said not to expect an apology from her (.I don't) - that he didn't tell her to. He said an apology from her wouldn't be sincere and that what she did shows what kind of person she is.

I still have to work with her, but hopefully she'll watch her step now. Oh, and the 2nd audit of my bookkeeping was finished yesterday afternoon - another glowing report!

Anonymous

I must admit that I dread going to work on Monday, mostly because I feel like I have to be on guard every time she's near me--especially now that she was brazen enough to verbally assault me. Her disdain for me has been evident from the very first day I started working there, and things have gone from bad to worse. So now I'm trying to come up with ways to avoid her whenever possible and be prepared to record the venom that comes out of her mouth. What recording device should I use?